In a WUSA9 interview, the governor-elect outlines priorities while warning of tighter finances and tough choices ahead.
RICHMOND, Va. — With one month remaining before she is sworn in as Virginia’s first female governor, Gov.-elect Abigail Spanberger says her administration will be defined by a focus on affordability, pragmatism, and “getting things done,” even as she prepares to confront tighter budgets and looming federal cutbacks.
In a one-on-one interview with WUSA9, Spanberger outlined her priorities for her first year in office, emphasizing that her approach will focus on improving what works in state government and addressing what does not. Following a decisive 15-point victory in November, the former congresswoman is preparing her inaugural address while shaping the policy agenda she will pursue with a Democratic-controlled General Assembly.
“I think people will see a common theme on getting things done and improving on people’s lives,” Spanberger told WUSA9.
Affordability emerged as a central theme of the interview, touching nearly every policy area she discussed. Spanberger said her administration will focus on preserving and expanding affordable housing, streamlining regulations to make it easier to build new homes, and addressing rising prescription drug costs. She will also address concerns about utility prices, particularly as Virginia’s booming data center industry increases energy demand across the state.
“Are there ways that we can make things just work better?” she asked.
That focus comes amid a far more constrained fiscal outlook than in recent years. Spanberger warned that the Commonwealth is facing a stricter budget cycle amid federal layoffs and uncertainty surrounding funding streams from Washington. She said difficult decisions are ahead and that not all priorities may be funded as fully as Democrats would like.
“It’s going to be tighter certainly than it has in the past,” she said,
Adding that officials will need to be “very clear-eyed about real shifts and tough choices,” Spanberger cautioned that Virginia may not be able to fully offset federal cuts to major programs such as Medicaid or SNAP benefits if changes are made at the national level.
“When we see the federal government making changes in those programs, there will be impact on Virginians, and the state cannot make up in its entirety the shifts that we may be seeing,” she said.
The incoming governor will begin budget negotiations by building off the proposal introduced by outgoing Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin. Among her first actions, Spanberger plans to reverse Youngkin’s Executive Order 47, which directs state and local law enforcement to assist federal immigration authorities.
Spanberger said the order raises concerns about community trust and the proper role of state resources.
“Pushing some of the federal responsibilities to state and local actors is not only inappropriate, it’s using state and local money for a federal purpose,” she said.
A former federal law enforcement agent, Spanberger emphasized that cooperation between agencies should occur through lawful processes such as search warrants, while ensuring families and children feel safe in their communities.
She also addressed growing Democratic interest in redrawing Virginia’s congressional maps. While stopping short of endorsing immediate action, Spanberger said she supports exploring the process and backs a constitutional amendment that would need to pass the General Assembly again before going to voters. She described the governor’s role as ensuring Virginians understand the stakes and turn out to vote if the issue advances.
On other issues, including casino development, Spanberger said decisions should remain local.
“It’s important to give permission for localities to give them that choice,” she said.